1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a stabilizing arrangement for a guide carriage, particularly for a sliding door or the like which is movable by a linear drive, wherein the sliding leaf is suspended by magnetic forces.
2. Description of the Related Art
A common problem in sliding doors that are moved by a linear drive consists in that the sliding door executes a shaking or rocking motion when starting and when braking similar to a motor vehicle during acceleration and braking. This rocking motion occurs when starting due to the inertial forces of the door leaf and the acceleration forces of the stationary stator of the linear drive. The acceleration forces tend to displace the leaf laterally and the inertial forces oppose this tendency. This process takes place in an analogous way in reverse when braking. A special situation arises when the door leaf must reverse due to an obstruction. This impairs normal operation of the sliding door.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,516 describes a linear drive for a sliding door. In this drive, a stationary long-stator is located above the movable leaf. The individual coils are distributed along the entire length of the stator, namely, in an equally spaced manner. The yoke of the stator comprises bars disposed transverse to a longitudinally arranged yoke part. The side of the transversely arranged yoke segments that faces the leaf is connected by a ferromagnetic plate to spacer strips arranged thereon. Permanent magnets are located on the movable leaf. When the movable leaf is fixed to the plate described above, the leaf is suspended at the stator due to the magnetic force of the permanent magnets. Due to the presence of spacer rollers at the end and at the beginning of the displaceable leaf, there is a defined air gap between the permanent magnets and the spacer strips or plate. When current is supplied to the coils, the magnetic field thereby generated inside the stator is advanced so that the suspended door can continue moving.